Sunday, January 1, 2017

Least Favorite Movie Period Dramas

Below is a list of ten of my least favorite movie period dramas:

LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE PERIOD DRAMAS

1. "Legends of the Fall" (1992) - Edward Zwick directed this dull and overrated adaptaion of Jim Harrison's 1979 novella about the lives of a Montana ranching family during the early 20th century. Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins starred.

2. "Barbary Coast" (1935) - Howard Hawks directed this turgid tale about an Eastern woman who arrives in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and comes between a corrupt gambler/saloon keeper and a miner. Miriam Hopkins, Edward G. Robinson and Joel McCrea starred.

5. "Becky Sharp" (1935) - Miriam Hopkins earned a surprising Best Actress nomination (surprising to me) in this unsatisfying adaptation of William Makepeace Thackery's 1847-48 novel, "Vanity Fair". Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, the movie is known as being the first full-length production in Technicolor.

6. "Gods and Generals" (2003) - Stephen Lang, Jeff Daniels and Robert Duvall starred in this adaptation of Jeff Shaara's 1996 Civil War novel and prequel to the much superior 1993 movie, "Gettysburg". Ronald Maxwell directed.

7. "The Hindenburg" (1975) - Robert Wise directed this rather dull account of the Hindenburg air disaster. The movie starred George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft.

9. "Glorious 39" (2009) - Stephen Poliakoff directed this slow and pretentious thriller about a young woman who discovers that her family are pro-appreasers who wish for Britain to seek peace with Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II. Romola Garai starred.